The Walls of Jellico
by Stephen Ratliff
Summary: Marrissa Story #18, Stargazer Mission, in which our hero finds her replacement following her promotion lacking


The Walls of Jellico  
  
Star Trek: Marrissa Stories  
by Stephen Ratliff  
  
Table of Contents  
  
Prologue2  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Chapter 25  
  
Chapter 38  
  
Chapter 410  
  
Epilogue14  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Lieutenant Henry Jellico stood in front of the First   
Officer's Office on Deck 2. The Fighter Commander didn't like   
Lieutenant Commander Picard. In fact he thought that she was a   
tin plated dictator with delusions of godhood. How the little   
girl had managed to become First Officer at such a young age was   
obviously due to nepotism. Rear Admiral Jean-Luc Picard must   
have really pulled some strings to get her in the position.  
The door opened and Jellico entered the room. "Lieutenant   
Henry Jellico reporting as ordered, sir," he said, stretching out   
the last word with sarcasm.  
"Sit down," the girl said, in a rather stern tone that   
Jellico had never heard her use before. He sat down in the   
overstuffed chair in front of her desk. Really, such a chair was   
not appropriate for the office of a senior officer on a starship.  
"Take a look at this, Lieutenant, and tell me what it is,"   
Lieutenant Commander Marrissa Picard said, pushing back a stray   
blond strand of hair with one hand as she handed a PADD off a   
rather large stack.  
Jellico glanced at it. It was a complaint from one of his   
wing commanders that he had thought he had dealt with. "It's a   
complaint," he replied tossing it back on the desk. It clattered   
off the table and on to the floor. Commander Picard made no   
effort to retrieve it.  
"Then you are aware of the complaint," Picard asked.  
"Lieutenant Grubb had informed me," Jellico dismissed it.  
"Then why are none of these on file," Picard said, gesturing   
at the pile. "In fact every one of the complaints I have here   
say that they brought it up with you. If they were on file,   
telling me what had been done about them, I might have been able   
to tell them something. Instead, when they came to me, as far as   
I knew they hadn't even told you. After a several of these came   
up, I began to see a pattern. That's why I called you. Do you   
have a good reason for dismissing them?"  
Jellico just met the young woman's stare as she waited for   
his response. After a while, she continued, "I thought not.   
Lieutenant, I expect the rules and regulations of Star Fleet to   
be followed on this vessel. I've been getting complaints about   
you since you arrived. I dismissed them, because it takes a   
while to get use to a new commander's style and tried to help you   
get used to the quirks of those under your command. You rejected   
my help, but I understood that you might feel that I was   
interfering with your command, and let up."  
"However," Commander Picard suddenly boomed, then continued   
softer. "I can not and will not let you make a mockery of Star   
Fleet rules and regulations. I don't care if your uncle is   
assistant chief of Star Fleet Operations. I don't care if   
someone died and made you God. I expect you to follow the rules   
and regulations of this vessel as long as you are aboard. That   
means that every complaint will be logged and followed up on, no   
matter how small. Understood?"  
Jellico nodded, already fantasying his revenge on the royal   
pain.  
"You can start with these," Picard stated. "I've entered a   
reprimand on your record. Dismissed."  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
The precise Vulcan voice interrupted Commander Picard's   
paperwork, "Commander Picard, please meet me in Sickbay."   
Marrissa had been deeply into the paperwork that came with the   
job of First Officer. She'd take any interruption to delay the   
work. Well not any interruption. She wouldn't stop to change   
her new little brother's diapers, but fortunately little Nicholas   
was several hundred light years away on the Enterprise.  
"On my way, Captain," Marrissa said, putting the PADD back   
on the desk and exiting her office below the bridge for Sickbay.  
  
Captain Washington was waiting in Sickbay's lobby. Sickbay   
occupied all of deck 5 on the Stargazer, so a waiting room was   
devised right by the turbolift to accommodate those who on other   
starships would be standing in the corridor. The Captain was   
pacing from side to side in the room, her face scowling most un-  
vulcan like. The half-vulcan was obviously trying to restrain   
the emotions of her mother's side, her human side.  
"Reporting as ordered, sir," Marrissa said, wondering what   
had caused the emotional expression on her normally impassive   
Captain.  
"Have you heard of the accident with Red Wing?" Captain   
T'Gwen Washington asked.  
"No sir," Marrissa said. "I was busy writing up the   
required paper work to get us out of dock."  
"It seems that all seven of Red Wing's pilots crashed in   
some training mission," Washington replied. "They managed to   
beam back to the Stargazer, and Doctor Johnson is looking over   
them now."  
"Do you know where Lieutenant Jellico is?" Marrissa asked.  
"He's at a dinner at the Admiralty," Captain Washington   
said.  
"We better let him know, it's his command," Marrissa   
responded as Lieutenants Ross Lochard and Virginia Szustakowski   
entered.  
"What happened to my sister," Virginia asked. "I heard she   
had a training accident."  
"Her whole wing was involved," Marrissa began before Doctor   
Johnson entered the lobby, interrupting her.  
"I've stabilized their conditions," Doctor Johnson said.   
"Unfortunately, Ensign Brown was dead upon arrival. Lieutenant   
Lochard is in critical condition, only time will tell there. The   
rest are serious but stable."  
"We're going to have to investigate this accident,"   
Washington began, "But I'm afraid that you two are not allowed to   
be on the team." She indicated the Chief of Security and Chief   
Engineer. "That means that you'll lead the team, Commander   
Picard. Contact the Judge Advocate General's office to see about   
getting an assistant."  
"Aye, sir," Marrissa replied.  
  
Marrissa had put in her request for investigative officers   
to the JAG office. They promised to send her an engineer and a   
JAG officer. So she waited in her quarters for the officers to   
arrive, going over reports while serval trusted Transporter   
Officers retrieved the remains and placed them in the Stargazer's   
shuttlebay. Marrissa grounded all of the fighters to cover the   
possibility of defective parts, and every craft was now being   
gone over with a fine tooth comb.  
  
While Marrissa had been a part of several investigative   
teams and led one during her term as Chief of Security of the   
Enterprise, she had never made this type of investigation. Her   
door beeped. "Come," the young lady said.  
Lieutenant Henry Jellico entered, exclaiming, "What is this   
about my fighters being grounded?"  
"Lieutenant, did you even listen to the recall message   
Lieutenant Lavelle sent you?" Commander Picard asked.  
"He mumbled something about an accident and told me to   
return to the ship," Jellico replied. "And what ever caused this   
recall better have been important, because it's not every day   
that you can go to a dinner at the Admiralty."  
"Lieutenant, before you left, you sent Red Wing on a   
training mission in the asteroid belt, correct?" Picard began.  
"Yes, that's why you called me back, to confirm that I sent   
out a training mission?" Jellico remarked, disgusted.  
"Lieutenant, they had an accident while they were out   
there," Marrissa Picard said. "Ensign Brown is dead. Lieutenant   
Katherine Lochard is in critical condition. All of the fighter   
craft were destroyed."  
Jellico's mouth dropped open. His shoulder's slumped and he   
lost his train of thought, Marrissa's remaining words barely   
penetrated the haze which had descended into his brain. "Captain   
Washington has ordered me to begin an investigation. The Judge   
Advocate General is sending me a legal expert and an expert in   
fighter design so I can figure out what went wrong."  
Jellico staggered out of the room, his mind filled with   
questions. He did not ask for permission to leave, but Marrissa   
understood that.  
  
  
Chapter Two  
  
It was some five minutes later that Marrissa was called to   
the transporter room to receive her investigative team. She   
wanted to make a good impression on the officers which had to be   
older than her. It was important that she did so, because even   
though she was First Officer on this vessel, she was only fifteen   
and a half. Commander Picard wanted to be know for her   
professional ability, not her age or even her titles. That was   
one of the reasons she had left the Enterprise-E. That and the   
fact that she didn't like the life expectancy of Security   
Officers.  
Two forms materialized on the platform, a little shorter   
than most Star Fleet Officers. As they solidified, Marrissa   
identified them, Jay Gordon and Clara Sutter. There were only   
five officers in the millions of active Star Fleet officers   
younger than her. The odds against this event were very long.   
Of course the odds of Clara being sent were better. She had   
after all developed the variant of the Essex-10 fighter craft   
that Red Wing had been flying. But Jay Gordon, Marrissa hadn't   
even known that he'd been assigned to the JAG office as his post   
while undergoing additional training at the Academy.  
"Welcome aboard the Stargazer, Clara, Jay," Marrissa   
greeted. "Working for the JAG office now, Jay?"  
"For the last four months," Jay responded. "Some one in the   
Personnel Office though it would be cute?"  
"Cute?" Clara questioned.  
"You know Jay's middle name, Clara?" Marrissa inquired   
mischievously. Jay shot her a glance trying to silence the   
Commander.  
"What?" Clara asked.  
"Alan," Marrissa replied as Jay looked up at the ceiling as   
if to say `Why me Lord?'  
"Jay Alan Gordon, JAG from JAG," Clara put together.  
"Oh now you've done it, Marrissa," Jay said scoldingly.   
"She'll tell Shayna, and between the three of you I'll be lucky   
to hear the last of it within a decade."  
"And that's a problem, Jay?" Marrissa asked, grinning.  
"Yes, because there is no way I'll ever be able to get even   
with two people that haven't done anything wrong in their lives,"   
Jay said.  
"True," Clara said. "Now what exactly happened to those   
fighters of yours?"  
"They crashed," Marrissa said. "I'm hoping you can tell me   
more. I've had the remains transported to the Shuttlebay."  
"Lead on," Clara replied. "I want to know what the heck   
went wrong with a design I spent months on."  
"Follow me," Marrissa said, exiting the transporter room.   
"Those full Lieutenant pips, Clara."  
"Yes, after we are done with the investigation, I'll be   
heading back to the Enterprise as it's new junior Assistant Chief   
Engineer," Clara said.  
  
The Shuttlebay was filled with twisted, torn, and dented   
parts of seven fighters. All but one of the pilot's compartments   
were intact. The drive systems of five craft had servived in one   
piece, and in the case of two connected to the pilot compartment.   
None of the wings were in a shape remotely resembling their   
original configuration. A practice torpedo lay in the center of   
the bay, still pristine.  
  
As the young officers entered the bay, a woman with curly   
brown hair was checking the lower bay controls, she turned around   
and greeted, "Good Afternoon Commander. I heard that you were   
coming down here with the investigation."  
"Yes, Lieutenant," Marrissa replied. "Clara, Jay, this is   
Lieutenant Virginia Szustakowski, our Chief Engineer. Gina, from   
the JAG Office, Lieutenant Jay Gordon, and our Engineering   
Investigator, Lieutenant Clarrissa Sutter, Princess of Essex."  
"Lieutenant Sutter, I've read your articles," Szustakowski   
replied. "Do you really think that impluse drive efficiency would   
improve with mult-phase pluse generation?"  
"Well if you consider the interactions of hydrogen fission   
movement in the seventh dimension," Clara began.  
"Ladies, as much as I'd like to hear about increased thrust   
provided by improved phased focusing, what ever that means, we do   
have an investigation to run,"Jay interupted.  
"Right, I better introduce you to the Flight Engineer,"   
Szustakowski said. "Bolts!"  
A red headed woman rushed over from behind one of the more   
intact fighters. She was shorter than Clara, just over four and   
a half feet tall. Her uniform was dirty, and her communicator   
askew. "Reporting as ordered, sir."  
"This is Ensign Amelia Bolton," Szustakowski said. "She'll   
help you with anything you need. She knows everything that ever   
went wrong with any of our craft, right down to who misspelled   
Federation on one of them. Ensign, this is Lieutenants Gordon   
and Sutter, they'll be helping Commander Picard oversee the   
investagation. If you'll excuse me, I have to go see how my   
sister is doing."  
As Szustakowski left the bay, Ensign Bolton asked, "You   
wouldn't happen to be Princess Clarrissa Sutter, designer of the   
Essex-10-Clara?"  
"Yes," Clara blushed then down played. "I was just   
addressing some complaints Marrissa had made about the Prime that   
I felt could be better done."  
"Better done," Bolton replied. "Your design, your highness.   
blown all the other variants of the Essex-10 out of the water.   
They're no longer making the Prime. The Atmospheric still has   
it's place, but it can't beat the Clara except on it's home turf.   
As for the Bomber, I'm hoping they replace that slug soon."  
"It is a little out of balance," Clara commented, opening   
her Engineer's kit. "But don't be so sure that my design is the   
best there is. I know of at least five things I could have done   
better. And call me Clara. I'm too young to be called sir, or   
your highness."  
"Clara, you are never too young to be called, your royal   
highness," Marrissa responded. "You should know. After all, you   
knew your were a Princess before I did."  
"Well, you may like being royalty," Clara replied, pulling a   
taira out of her kit. "I, on the other hand, would perfer not to   
be. It's too much hassle. Ensign, where should we start.  
As Marrissa and Jay, tried to contain a case of laughter,   
Ensign Bolton asked, "What's that?" She pointed to the taira   
that Clara had placed on her brow.  
"It's my no hands tricorder," Clara replied, touching the   
side of the taira. A blue visor materialized over her eyes. "It   
helps when you are examining things to have your hands free.   
What are you two laughing about?"  
Jay and Marrissa had lost their battle to contain their   
amusement and were chuckling loudly. "It's just that as soon as   
you complained about being a Princess, what was the first thing   
you did?" Marrissa said, recovering from the laughing spell.   
"You put on a tiara."  
"You know as well as I do that I designed this for Sailor   
Mercury in that holodeck obsession of yours a year ago," Clara   
replied. "I may have played Sailor Mars, but that doesn't mean I   
didn't like what the other scouts had."  
"Like the locket I had," Marrissa inquired.  
"I just liked the tune," Clara replied. "Why don't you two   
start interviewing the pilots or something. You all are no   
engineers."  
"I'll leave this to you and Ensign Bolton to this side of   
the investigation then," Marrissa said. "I want those black   
boxes as soon as you can get them, and let us know if you find   
anything unusual."  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Jay and Marrissa retreated to her office to avoid being   
embarrassed by their lack of Engineering knowledge. They quickly   
divided up the various reports that had been submitted and   
logged. There was the launch requests, the pre-flight   
checklists, the Doctor's injury reports, and the flight plan.   
There was one little note that caught Jay's attention.   
"Computer, find orders, training plan Red Wing."  
"File not found," the Computer responded.  
"I'm sure I saw that before," Marrissa said. "Computer,   
view flight plan"  
"File not found."  
"Computer, deletion lock, authorization Picard Alpha Four   
Red Five Halifax Serena," Marrissa ordered. "Attempt to retrieve   
recently deleted files."  
"Deletion lock now in effect. Logging attempts to delete   
files," the Computer responded.  
"I guess we're going to have to call in a computer expert,"   
Jay remarked.  
"Not necessarily," Marrissa said. "Who had a motive to   
destroy those files?"  
"Any of the pilots," Jay began.  
"Who are confined to Sickbay," Marrissa said. "I know   
Doctor Jackson, he doesn't let anyone access work files from   
Sickbay. Anime Fan Fiction, yes, flight plans, not on your   
life."  
"Relatives of the pilots," Jay continued.  
"We've got two," Marrissa informed. "Lieutenant Ross   
Lochard, our chief of security is Red Wing's Wing Commander's   
husband, and Lieutenant Szustakowski, our chief Engineer is her   
sister."  
"Who ever filed the training orders," Jay finished.  
"That could be either Kathy or Lieutenant Jellico," Marrissa   
said.  
"Kathy would be the Red Wing Commander?" Jay asked.  
Marrissa nodded. "You left out any Engineering aspects,"   
she noted.  
"The Engineers wouldn't mess with those files," Jay said.   
"They'd alter these very detailed maintenance records."  
"For all I can tell they've already done that," Marrissa   
replied. "What is an space modulator and shouldn't they be   
replaced ever 4 thousand light years?"  
"I have no idea," Jay replied. "Let Clara go over that   
mess. Can we start interviewing the pilots?"  
"I'd rather wait for the flight logs first," Marrissa   
remarked. "Without that flight plan, we won't be able to   
determine any deviations from it."  
"It's supposed to be in the flight log, isn't it," Jay   
asked.  
"True," Marrissa said, putting down the PADD full of   
maintenance logs she'd been reading. "Commander Picard to   
Lieutenant Sutter."  
"Clara here," the young engineer replied from the shuttle   
bay.   
"How soon can I get the flight logs from the fighters?"   
Marrissa asked. "I need them before I can question the pilots."  
"Give me five minutes," Clara replied.  
"You've got two, Picard out," Marrissa replied.  
"What's this with the time limits, Marrissa," Jay asked.   
"Clara should know how long a job takes her."  
"Clara has been spending time with Admiral Scott," Marrissa   
replied. "I know Scotty. He always multiplies his repair   
estaminets by four, and I find that the trait is contagious."  
"How so?" Jay asked.  
"Our Chief Engineer here on the Stargazer use to give an   
estimate of fifteen minutes as the time it takes to repair a   
coolant leak," Marrissa explained. "Then she visited Admiral   
Scott. Now it takes forty-five."  
"That's rather noticeable," Jay remarked.  
"I'm not sure how Captain Washington failed to notice it,"   
Marrissa mused.  
  
Lieutenant Katherine Lochard was the first person Marrissa   
and Jay interviewed. She was still confined to sickbay, but she   
appeared better than she had been the last time Marrissa had   
stopped by. "Lieutenant, your flight plan in your fighter's logs   
notes this exercise as being over your objections," Jay began.   
"Would you mind clarifying that?"  
"When Lieutenant Jellico assigned this training mission, I   
objected to doing it in the actual field," the Wing Commander   
said. "I thought that it would be just as effective in the   
holodeck and that my wing, in particular Ensigns Brown, Favin,   
and Jakif, where not ready or qualified to fly though such a   
rapidly changing and dangerous asteroid field."  
Marrissa and Jay exchanged a glance before Jay continued,   
"What happened to cause the accident?"  
"Everything had been proceeding normally," Kathy explained.   
"We were following Jellico's flight plan closely. My wing   
second, Ensign Saro, was leading and I took up the rear. Then the   
unexpected happened. Two asteroids collided ahead of us, forcing   
us to take evasive action. I'm not sure exactly how it happened,   
but I think the debris from the collusion was moving faster than   
we could in the tight area we had to fly. We were hit and had to   
beam back to the Stargazer."  
"That agrees with my analyst of your logs," Marrissa said.   
"Jay?"  
"Thank you for your time," Jay finished. "We may be back   
later."  
  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Once the two exited Sickbay, Jay turned to Marrissa and   
said, "I think we have a court-martial on our hands."  
"I'll agree with that," Marrissa replied as they entered the   
turbolift. "Deck Two. What offenses have we got?"  
"Destruction of Evidence, Obstruction of Justice, and   
possibly Murder," Jay listed.  
"Murder?" Marrissa said, falling back against the turbolift   
wall. "When did this become a murder investigation."  
"When Lieutenant Jellico ordered the mission over the   
objections of the wing commander," Jay replied.  
"Lets not rush into this," Marrissa said, standing up   
straight again. "We need to talk to Jellico, and find out who   
deleted those files."  
"Well, he's the only one on that list," Jay remarked, as the   
turbolift opened to the officer's corridor below the bridge.   
"The pilots couldn't, and Kathy's relatives only had a motive if   
she did, and I don't think she does any more"  
The two entered Marrissa's office. Marrissa sat down in her   
overstuffed chair behind her desk, and Jay took up residence on   
her couch. "Oh?" Marrissa inquired. "What got rid of her   
motive?"  
"The flight logs show she did everything possible to save   
her pilots," Jay replied. "We know they haven't been tampered   
with," Jay said, clasping his hands behind his head as he leaned   
back. "And if she had no motive, neither did her relatives."  
"True," Marrissa replied, picking up a PADD from her desk.   
"Shall we call Lieutenant Jellico in for questioning?"  
"Might as well," Jay replied. "Has the Computer Security   
Officer tracked down the terminal or user who deleted those   
files?"  
"Fighter Bay Launch Control Room," Marrissa informed. "Not   
exactly an easy place to pin users down in."  
"How exactly were those files deleted?" Jay inquired. "We   
did have an investigative lock on them."  
"Ensign Chu tells me that they were renamed then deleted,"   
Marrissa replied, tossing the PADD back down on the table. "Only   
the Fighter Commander and above can rename Flight Control files."  
"I think we have our suspect cornered then," Jay remarked,   
moving his arms back down to cross them over his chest. "What do   
you say we call him down?"  
"Commander Picard to Lieutenant Jellico," Marrissa ordered.   
"Report to my office immediately."  
Jay took up position behind Marrissa as they waited for the   
Fighter Commander to arrive. The door chimed, and Marrissa   
ordered, "Come."  
Lieutenant Jellico entered the office, supremely confident.   
He strutted across the room to stand before the desk.   
"Reporting as ordered, sir," he sneered, believing that there was   
nothing the two teenagers could do to him.  
"Please sit down," Marrissa ordered in a calm and confident   
tone.  
"I perfer to stand," Jellico replied, continuing the battle   
of wills he had begun with Marrissa when he came on board.  
"That wasn't a request," Marrissa replied. Jellico took a   
seat in the overstuffed chair in front of Marrissa's desk.   
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Mr. Jellico. As you know,   
Lieutenant Gordon and I are investigating the accident Red Wing   
had two days ago. In our investigation several questions have   
come up that you may be able to answer."  
"I will answer them to the best of my ability, sir," Jellico   
replied, suddenly realizing the seriousness of the two young   
officers. Lieutenant Gordon was glaring at him with such   
fierceness that he suspected that even Klingons would feel like   
deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.  
"Very well," Marrissa responded. "What where your orders to   
Red Wing?"  
Jellico momentarily considered saying he'd given no orders,   
but realized that the two weren't that incompetent. "I ordered   
Red Wing to do the Genma training routine in the trailing Trojan   
Asteroids," he said.  
"Where there any objections," Jay asked.  
"Lieutenant Lochard made some noise, but it wasn't much,"   
Jellico remarked, dismissing the objection.  
"Did the Wing Commander say that her wing, which had three   
members fresh out of the Academy, was not ready for a real life   
training session," Jay recited from memory.  
"Something to that effect," Jellico replied. "But I   
dismissed it because of their previous performances."  
"Did Lieutenant Lochard suggest an alternative?" Marrissa   
asked.  
"She suggested we do it in the holodeck, but I felt it was   
time for real life experiences," Jellico answered. "The Holodeck   
is good, but their is just some things that it can't duplicate."  
"You are aware that we do have a full simulation program for   
that asteroid cluster," Marrissa stated.  
"Yes, Blue Wing is training in it right now," Jellico said.   
"You are aware that Star Fleet has placed a warning about   
flying in the Trojans?" Jay asked, sternly, his eyes burning into   
Jellico's soul.  
"I am," Jellico replied, fearful for the first time in the   
questioning.  
"Did you erase the filed flight plan from the computer?" Jay   
interrogated, moving up to stand up against the desk.  
Jellico didn't say anything. His eyes flashed with fear,   
and his face drained of color. Jay continued his questioning.   
"Did you delete the training orders for Red Wing?" Jay asked, his   
eyes still focused on Jellico.  
Jellico tried to tear his eyes away from the JAG Officer's   
stare. Something about the determined vestige of the fourteen   
year old Lieutenant reflected the doom that Jellico felt back   
onto his soul. The answer seeped out of him in a whisper, "Yes."  
As Jellico slumped in the chair, realizing that his career   
was over, he heard Commander Picard call, "Security to the First   
Officer's Office. Arrest Lieutenant Jellico for Destruction of   
Evidence, Obstruction of Justice, and Murder." His life was over   
now.   
As he slumped in the chair, drained of all motivation, he   
said in a sobbing tone, "You got what you wanted, Picard. I'm   
out of your way now."  
"I never wanted that," Marrissa replied, sorry that things   
had come to this point. "I was just trying to make you the best   
Fighter Commander you could be. I tried to help you, make things   
easy for you take over Fighter Command. When you said that you   
didn't want my help, I stopped. Perhaps I shouldn't have. I   
suppose we'll be wondering what went wrong for the rest of our   
lives."  
  
Jellico looked back up at the young First Officer in a new   
light. He looked back at the actions he'd seen her do since he   
came aboard. He saw her invitations to the weekly poker games to   
new officers as an attempt to get to know them better, not to set   
up some conspiracy. Jellico remembered the sing-a-longs in Seven   
Slightly Starboard. They were not to keep him up late, but to   
give a sense of community to a warship with lots of new   
crewmembers. The objections to demoting Lieutenant Ducat were not   
some test of power, it was concern that an officer that she knew   
was capable was being unfairly treated because of his race.   
Perhaps Lieutenant Commander Picard wasn't so bad after all.  
Then the security officers entered the room. They roughly   
stood him up and began taking him out of the room. Lieutenant   
Ross Lochard led them, saying when he struggled because the grip   
they had on him hurt, "Stop struggling, you're going to the   
brig."  
"No," Commander Picard said from behind him. Ross turned   
back in inquiry. "Confine him to quarters. There is no need to   
restrain him any more than that. Restrict Computer access and   
that will be enough."  
Jellico wanted to thank Commander Picard for the gesture of   
kindness but the Security Officers pulled him out of the room too   
fast.  
  
At his exit, Marrissa slumped back in her chair. Jay moved   
around to where Jellico had been sitting and perched on the left   
arm of the chair. "What's wrong Marrissa?" he asked.  
"I had such hopes for Jellico," Marrissa said. "He was an   
excellent pilot with excellent ratings across the board. If he   
would have just learnt that there is a limit to everything he   
could have been an excellent commanding officer. I hate it when   
I fail with an officer."  
"You need something to take you mind off work for a while,"   
Jay remarked. "Isn't the Star Fleet Invitational tomorrow?"  
"Yes, my cousin Isabelle is returning to racing tomorrow,"   
Marrissa said. "She hasn't raced a horse since she placed in the   
Belmont Stakes two years ago. Motherhood hasn't given her the   
time."  
"And now she's returning to racing," Jay said. "You really   
should go see her."  
"Are you asking me out on a date, Jay?" Marrissa replied.  
"If you can get tickets," Jay replied. "That race day is   
always sold out."  
"I've got rights to the Stargazer Stables owner's box,"   
Marrissa stated. "I don't need to worry about tickets. The box   
fits 20 and the Enterprise is busy patrolling the Cardassian   
Border, so that just leaves me, Marie, Theresa, and little Rene   
to use it. I'm sure I can get in."  
"What about any of Isabelle's friends?" Jay asked.  
"Unfortunately Isabelle lacks many," Marrissa said. "I   
don't know why, but I think it's roughly the same reason I have   
trouble making new friends with people my age."  
"You have trouble making friends?" Jay asked, surprised.   
"I'd think that people would want to be friends with you. I know   
I'm lucky to count you among my friends."  
"You were my friend before I got to all the things that keep   
me from getting new friends," Marrissa said. "You knew me before   
I became the Captain's daughter, which lead anyone on board the   
Enterprise who didn't already know me to behave as if they were   
on pin cushions. Then when I discovered my royal heritage anyone   
outside the ship approached me as if I was some sort of holy   
person. My rank stops me from being friends with anyone within a   
decade of my age because, I'm at least two ranks above them and   
it's not right to associate with senior officers."  
"I can see the problem you face," Jay remarked. "And you do   
need some time off. I think your position is getting to you."  
  
"Only on days where I have disappointments with officers,"   
Marrissa replied. "I'll probably get someone else to disappoint   
me to replace Jellico."  
"Don't be so pessimistic," Jay remarked.  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
It was a bright and cheerful day at Star Fleet Academy's   
horse track, otherwise known as Academy Downs. The four year-old   
race had just finished, and there was a break before the running   
of the two year old race was to begin. It was the fourth of six   
races that day which would conclude with the three year old race.   
But it was the Star Fleet Invitational for two year-olds that   
held the attention of everyone. Not only had the winner of this   
race gone on to win at least one Triple Crown race for the past   
five years, but today it was a match between the sons of a pair   
of horses that had made the race exciting three years ago.   
Vulcan's Glory and Insignia had raced neck and neck wire to wire   
with Vulcan's Glory winning by a nose. Now Loin at the Helm from   
Kirk Stables and Shield of Stars would be facing each other for   
the first time.  
It was also Isabelle Picard's first race in two years.   
She'd taken a break after placing in the Belmont Stakes to have   
and raise her son, but she'd found that she missed the races.   
Marie had encouraged her return to racing, and even her father   
had surprised her with his words of support. She'd never really   
gotten along with her father, but since little Rene was born and   
Captain Picard had talked to him, her father seemed to take a lot   
more pride her, as if he finially realized how much she meant to   
him.  
This was also the last race for the Klingon jockey who had   
welcomed her to racing in her first Star Fleet Invitation some   
three years ago, Korrath. He would be ridding Glorious Kah'Less   
into battle for the last time. Following this race he would be   
handing over the reigns to his son Garrath or perhaps his   
daughter Be'hara depending on who was better. He would be   
becoming the Klingon Embassy's trainer. Isabelle would miss his   
wit in the weight room.  
  
Up in the box, Marie sat with her five year old daughter   
Theresa beside her. Marie was dressed in her Sunday best.   
Theresa was wearing a cute little blue sun dress and a wide   
brimmed straw hat. On her other side sat Philippe Boucher in top   
hat and tails, his almost two year old grandson sitting in his   
lap in a cute dark blue sailor suit with a red tie that he kept   
messing with. Marrissa sat in front of them with Jay beside   
them. The both wore their dress uniforms, as expected of Star   
Fleet Officers attending this event, Marrissa's the red of   
Command, and Jay's the yellow of Operations and Engineering.  
"Who are you going for, Marrissa,"Jay asked.  
"Shield of Stars, of course," Marrissa replied, smiling.   
"This is the Stargazer Stable's owner's box."  
"True," Jay replied smiling back.  
"Mommy," little Rene suddenly shouted as he spotted his   
mother leading her horse on the big monitor on the other side of   
the tracks above the Cadet Stands.   
Everyone looked at the toddler who was staring at the   
monitor as they introduced the horses and their jockeys over the   
speakers. "In the first gate will be Shield of Stars out of the   
Kentucky Derby winning Insignia from Stargazer Stables ridden by   
the second year jockey, Isabelle Boucher Picard."   
The picture switched to a Vulcan leading a mahogany colored   
stallion. The little boy cried out, "Mommy gone."  
"She'll be back after the race, Rene," his grandfather said.  
  
"In the second gate is Lion at the Helm out of the Preakness   
winning Vulcan's Glory. He'll be ridden by the veteran jockey   
Zarok," the announcer said. "In gate three, the retiring jockey   
Karrath, son of Lomec rides Glorious Kah'Less from the Klingon   
Embassy Stables. In gate four is Father to the Man ridden by   
Frankie ..."  
"Interesting field," Jay commented. "I didn't know we had   
so many non-human jockeys."  
"The Klingons have been trying to win the Triple Crown since   
they signed the Kitomer Accords and established an embassy in San   
Francisco," Marrissa said. "They have yet to win a Triple Crown   
race, but they keep trying. Personally, I thought Bat'leth had a   
good chance last year, but Orient Express came out of no where in   
the Derby, and Bat'leth couldn't keep up with that pace and   
strained himself so much that he wasn't able to race until after   
the Belmont."  
At that point they noticed the last of the horses had been   
placed in the gates. The bell rang and the announcer began his   
call, "And they're off. Loin at the Helm leads out of the gate   
with Shield of Stars on the outside. Glorious Kah'Less pulls   
along the outside as they pass the quarter pole and head into the   
turn. Father to the Man is fourth with Old Time's Sake coming up   
fast on the inside, but the front three are pulling away as they   
enter the backstretch. Kah'Less takes the lead from Lion, but   
Shield continues to move up on the inside, passing Lion as well.   
Lion moves to the outside as they head into the finial turn.   
Shield and Kah'Less are neck and neck. Old Time's Sake leads   
Father to the Man, in fourth. Down the stretch they come,   
Kah'Less leads for the moment but here comes Shield of Stars, his   
jockey uses her whip once and Shield takes on an explosive burst   
of speed, leaving Kah'Less to fight with Lion at the Helm for   
second. Shield of Stars crosses the line with a full length's   
lead. Kah'Less places ahead of Lion at the Helm. Father to the   
Man comes in fourth..."  
"It appears that we get to congratulate Isabelle," Jay   
remarked.  
"I believe so," Marrissa said. "Who's representing the   
owners today, Aunt Marie?"  
"You are," Marie replied. "Mike is the trainer, and your   
father is the other owner of the stables."  
"Great, another interview," Marrissa grumbled.  
"Just let Isabelle answer most of the questions," Jay   
advised. "She is definitely the family star in this event.   
  
After the race, Jay escorted Marrissa back to her quarters   
on the Stargazer by way of a family dinner at the Admiralty's in   
house restaurant. Both of the little children had been   
surprisingly well behaved, although Theresa had been a little too   
talkative. But then again Theresa loved horses and a day at the   
races was bound to excite her.  
"Good night Marrissa," Jay said at her door. "I hope I'll   
see you sometime soon." He drew his good friend into a romantic   
kiss. When it ended, Marrissa said goodnight and retreated into   
her quarters. Jay sighed and turned to leave.   
As he began to walk down the corridor towards the turbolift,   
Captain Washington exited her quarters and called, "Lieutenant,   
may I have a word with you?"  
He turned towards her and said, "Yes Captain."  
"You are aware of the opening on the Stargazer for a Fighter   
Commander and Second Officer," Captain T'Gwen Washington began.   
Jay nodded. "I've been looking at your record and I think you'd   
be an ideal one."  
"How so, sir," Jay responded. "I haven't flown since I   
became Chief of Operations on the Independence."  
"Commander Picard tells me that flying is a skill that you   
never forget," Washington said. "You have an excellent record,   
and unlike Lieutenant Jellico you have command experience.   
You've worked well with Commander Picard in the past and we don't   
have time to iron out personality conflicts."  
"It sounds like you are in a rush to fill the position," Jay   
commented.  
"Yes," Captain Washington confirmed. "We ship out in two   
days to join the seventh fleet."  
"Well I'm not exactly satisfied with my current post at the   
JAG Office," Jay said. "And I just finished the last of the   
classes I came back to the Academy to take. So if you can get   
approval for my transfer aboard, I'd be delighted to take the   
post."  
"I'll start work on the paperwork immediately," Captain   
Washington said. "Welcome aboard, Lieutenant."  
"One thing, Captain," Jay said. "Don't let Marrissa know   
until I report in officially. I like to surprise her every once   
in a while."  
"Understood," Washington concluded, turning back into her   
quarters.  
  



End file.
